Chapter 66: Kakashi: Obito Really Is Still Alive!!!
"Ugh, so gross!
Seriously way too gross!"
Sasuke walked along while ranting nonstop.
"How can Naruto be this disgusting!?
No—
Naruto wouldn't normally do something like that.
Sure, he uses Sexy Jutsu a lot,
but he doesn't stay transformed for that long.
So…
this has to be because of that guy—Jiraiya!
Damn you, Jiraiya!
Who would've thought one of the Legendary Sannin is actually this kind of person!"
Having received massive psychological damage, Sasuke went full rant mode.
"Well…
everyone has their own little quirks, right?"
Byakuya walked beside him with a gentle smile.
"For example,
Tsunade loves gambling.
Orochimaru loves poisons.
Compared to them, Jiraiya's tastes aren't really that bad.
After all…
most guys like that sort of thing."
"Let's just train somewhere else…"
Sasuke shoved one hand in his pocket and lightly knocked his own forehead with the other.
"My heart feels so gross right now."
"Sure~"
...
After Sasuke and Byakuya left the area,
Naruto finally let out a long breath of relief.
"Phew…
Good thing it was only Sasuke who saw that.
If it had been anyone else… I'd have died of embarrassment…"
...
Inside Konoha Hospital,
Kakashi—now awake thanks to Tsunade's treatment—stared out the window at the little birds flying by, feeling deeply restless.
Ever since he woke up,
he had spent a lot of time just spacing out.
He was thinking about the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"I'm not an Uchiha.
So how could I possibly awaken a Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Kakashi continued gazing outside, lost in thought.
"And why does it take me so long to prepare and activate my Mangekyō?
But Itachi's… he can open it instantly.
Is it really just because I'm not the true owner of this eye?"
In the past, Kakashi had never paid much attention to these details.
But after Byakuya's earlier words woke him up to the issue,
he started deliberately observing and thinking about it.
Back then, he hadn't known much about the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had never even seen another Uchiha use one.
So he had simply assumed that activating an Uchiha's Mangekyō required gathering chakra over a period of time.
But not long ago—
during his fight with Itachi—
he saw Itachi open his Mangekyō in an instant!
That discovery had solidified the suspicion in his heart.
"No…
Impossible.
Obito is already dead.
He died right in front of me.
There's no way someone could survive being crushed by a boulder that huge."
Once again, the memory surfaced—Obito sacrificing himself to save him, crushed beneath the falling rocks.
A sharp pang of sorrow stabbed through Kakashi's chest.
But then he shook his head.
"No, wait…
Who says death is always permanent?
Izumi came back!
Even Sensei's wife came back!
So why couldn't Obito be revived?
Maybe… some unknown existence brought him back to life!
But…
why would they revive a total dead-last like Obito?
It doesn't make any sense…"
The more Kakashi thought, the worse his headache became.
This question had been tormenting him for a long time now.
Yet no matter how much he pondered, he couldn't reach an answer.
He had always taken it for granted that Obito was dead.
So unless he found absolutely undeniable proof,
he wouldn't fully believe Obito was still alive.
"Whatever. I'll go for a walk."
Kakashi sighed,
got out of bed, and slowly walked out of the hospital.
He still wasn't fully recovered,
but simple walking was manageable.
He wandered aimlessly through the village…
and before he realized it, he found himself standing in front of Rin's grave.
"Hm?"
The moment he arrived, something felt off.
There were fresh footprints in front of Rin's tombstone!
From the depth and pattern of the marks, Kakashi could tell immediately—
the person hadn't just passed by.
They had stood here for quite a long time!
"Who…?"
Rin had no living family left.
The only friends she had were him and Yūhi Kurenai.
Whenever Kurenai came, she always brought flowers.
There was no way she would come empty-handed.
And Kakashi himself had been lying in the hospital bed until now…
"So…
so…"
A violent shiver ran through Kakashi's entire body.
A bold, almost terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
"Could it be… Obito!?"
Because he had already been thinking about this question for so long,
his reaction was especially intense.
"It shouldn't be…"
Even as he told himself that,
Kakashi tremblingly bit his thumb
and performed the Summoning Technique.
The next moment,
Pakkun appeared before him.
"Pakkun, smell this place.
Remember the scent of the person who was here not long ago.
Then help me find him."
Kakashi's voice trembled slightly.
"Kakashi, are you hurt?"
Pakkun sniffed around in confusion,
then spoke while starting to track.
"Why aren't you lying down properly in the hospital?
What are you doing out here?
…Huh?
Kakashi,
this scent is kinda weird.
It disappears right here!
It's like the person just… vanished into thin air…
That's strange…
Really strange.
There's no trace of this scent anywhere around.
It's as if they appeared out of nowhere,
stood here for a while,
and then disappeared again.
How can someone like that exist?
Do they know some kind of space-time ninjutsu or something?"
"Space…
Space-time ninjutsu!?"
Kakashi's voice shook even more.
He suddenly remembered the ability of his own Mangekyō Sharingan—Kamui.
A terrifyingly powerful space-time technique!
"Could it be…
Could it really be Obito!?
No…
It is Obito.
Obito really is still alive!!!"
The conclusion hit Kakashi like a thunderbolt.
His legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed straight onto the ground.
Still very weak from his injuries, he sat there gasping for breath.
"Kakashi!
Kakashi!"
Pakkun looked at him in panic, completely unsure what was happening.
"I'm fine, Pakkun.
Thanks for your help this time.
You can go back now."
"You sure you don't want me to call a doctor?"
"No… I just want to be alone for a bit…"
"Alright then…"
Pakkun nodded and vanished.
Leaving Kakashi alone, sitting quietly on the ground, staring blankly at Nohara Rin's tombstone.
"Obito…
If you're really still alive… then where are you right now?
Why haven't you come back to see me?
Could it be…
Could you hate me…?
Hate me for killing Rin…?
Is that why you don't want to see me?"
Kakashi slowly raised the hand that had once pierced through Rin's heart.
His eyes were filled with disgust as he stared at it.
"Why…
Why!?
Why was I so weak…?
Why couldn't I protect Rin…?
The blood…
Why can't I wash this blood away!?
Why!?"
Like a man possessed, Kakashi frantically scrubbed at his hand,
as if trying to erase bloodstains that had never truly been there.
He continued like that for who knows how long…
until urgent shouts and footsteps finally reached his ears.
Then, once again,
he fainted…
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